Capping press



J. A. BUTLER cKPPING PRESS Filed April 27, 1923 Patented July 7, 1925.

UNITED. STATES PATENT orrlce.

JAMES A. BUTLER, OF NEEDHAM MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 PNEUMATIC SCALE CORPORATION, LTD., OF NOR-F0111 DOVJIETS, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

CAPPING PRESS.

- Application filed April 27, 1923/1 se i No. 635,168.

To all whomit may concern:

Be it known that'I, JAMES A. BUTLIIR,

a citizen of the United States, residing at tightly placed upon the filled cans before.

the cans are labeled. 7

My invent-ion 1s particularly designed'for use with a can labeling machine of the Jagenberg Drum Labeler, and for the purposes of this application I shall show and describe it in such adaptation. It will be understood, of course; that such treatment.

is purely illustrative and in-no way limiting. In a machine of the character indicated, the filled and capped cans are intermittently fed to the labeling head'where the labels are applied. The cans'are supposed to be tightly cappedwhen they leave the fillingmachinepbut through carelessness or oversight a can issometimes deposited onto the can feed chain of the drum labeler with aloose cap with resultant liability of the can content being spilled during the progress of the can through the labeling machine. r i To the end therefore of providing a capping press which will insure that the cap is tightly placed upon each can as it feeds to the labeling head, I have devised my present invention. Ac cording to my invention, I mount upon the can feed table of the drum labeler an automatic capping press through which the cans passas they are fed to the labeling head. The arrangement is such that at each pause in the intermittent travel of the can feed chain a can will be positioned within the capping press and the cap or cover will be tightly pressed upon the can during such pause.

and before the drive for the can feed chain is resumed.

The construction and operation of my capping press, together witha selected embodiment thereof which well illustrates the 7,

principles involvedp are described and shown in the accompanying specification the can feedv chain. I V Fig. '2' is a plan view'of Fig. 1 and showand drawings and the characteristicfeatures of novelty are particularly pointedbut in appended claims. Throughout the specification and I drawings like reference" characters are correspondingly employed,

and in the drawings Fig- 1 is a side elevation of a can feed table equipped with acapping press in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary detail view illustrating thetimed relation between the "drive" for the capping press and the drive for the ing the capping. fingers open to permit a canto enter the capping press. c,

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing theflcapping'fin'gers closed to pressthe cap tightly onto the can, and Fig. 4 is a section on the F ig. 2, I V

I have indicated at 1 a can feedtable line Y 4 4: of

and at 2 an intermittently operable can feed chain having spaced feedings 3 between which the cans C are centered and successively fed to thelabeling head of a labeling machine, preferably of the type-indicated hereinbefore,,as they are deposited on said chain from the delivery conveyor from the 'canxfilling machine. or by hand The driving sprocket for the can feed chainv This sprocket is intermittently rotated from' the main cam is indicated at 4,

shaft of the labeling machine through suitable motion"transmitting connections of which only the connecting rod 5 is shown in these drawings. At its rear end the connectlng rod 5 is connected to a pawl carrying lever 6'-which is fulcrumed on the shaft 4 for the sprocket 4 and carries at. its free. end a pawl 7 adapted to engage a ratchet 8 mounted on the sprocket shaft 74: whereby to intermittently rotate said sprocket shaft one tooth space at ation of, the connecting rod 5.', v V

Mountedlupon the can feeditable lie, 8.

capping press consisting of a pair of brackets 9 adjustably fastened to each side of said tableand a top p1ate 10 carried by said brackets andextendin'g across the table at an elevationsuflicientlyabove the can feed chain to permit the cans on said chain to pass therebeneath.

'Pivoted at 10 1 to the fontcorners of the top plate are two pairs of vertically disposed capping fingers 11 and 12. The finger pair 11 at the rear end of theplate 10, considering the capping press as it appears in Fig. 2, are adapted to press the cap C on-tothe can and the finger pair 12 at the front end of said plate are adapted toengage the end of the can and hold the can against movement between the lugs 3 of the can feed chain while the cap is being pressed onto the can. All fingers are simultaneouslyv swung inwardly upon their pivots as each can-comes to rest beneath the plate 10 during the pause in the operation of the intermittently driven feed chain 2 whereby to press the cap tightly on the can and are simultaneously swung outwardly upon the r pivots when the drive for said chain is resumed whereby to permit the can which has been capped to pass from the press and the next succeeding can on said chain to enter said press.

The mechanism for "simultaneously swinging said capping fingers 11 and 12011-11161? pivots properly timed relation to the drive Of'tliB can'feed chain may be of any suitable characten As here shown, each capping finger has an arm 13 extending therefrom to which is pivoted at 1 1 the overlying arm 15 of a connecting rod 16. The I connecting rods 16 are pivoted at 17 to the four corners of a crank 18 which is centrally pivoted at 19 to the top plate 10 of the capping press. are yieldably mount-ed upon their pivotsto permit said fingers to yield in case the feed of the can is obstructed. As here shown,

the, forward pair of capping fingers 12 are provided with coil springs20 which are disposed between the arm 13 of said finger, and a horizontally projecting arin 21 ,disposed beneath said arm 13 and integral with said finger. The normal tendency of the coil spring 20 is to oppose the inward swing iiiginoveinent of said fingers upon their pivots so that the fingers act as rigid fingers, but the springs are overcome when the feed of the cam. is obstructed and permit the fingers to yield so asto prevent breakage. The, springs 20 normally draw the fingers towards stop pins" 22 depending from the arms 21 of the fingers. I

The. crank plate 18 is swung upon its pivot by a connecting rod 23 which is loosely mounted upon one of the studs for the connecting rods 16. ..The outer end of said connecting rod 23 is piv otally mounted at 24 upon a,crank arm 25 which is fast to a crank shaft 26 journaled vertically through one of the side brackets 9 of the capping press a The crank shaft 26. is adapted to be turnedrthrough one complete revolution at each operation of the capping press, and as here shown is driven from a cross shaft 27 through beveled gears 28 and 29. The

One or both finger pairs cross shaft 27 is journaled beneath the can feed table 1 in bearings depending from the brackets 9 and is driven at increased speed from a ratchet shaft 30 which is journaled in a bearing beneath the shaft 27 and is geared thereto by the gear 31 and pinion 32.

As here shown, the gear ratio between the shafts 30 and 27 is a three tooiie ratio because the ratchet 33 on the ratchet shaft 80 is a three tooth ratchet. Loosely mounted on shaft 30 is a pawl lever S 1 carrying a pawl 35 adapted to intermittently engage said ratchet. The lower end of the pawl carrying lever is linked at 3-6 to a clamp 37 fast onthe connecting rod 5 which actuates the chain feed ratchet 8. The described connections cause the presser fingers to close at each pause in the drive of the feed can chain 2 whereby to press the cap; firmly upon the can and to open when the drive for the feed chain is resumed to permit the can in the capping press to pass therefrom and the succeeding can on the chain to enter said press.

. Various modifications in the construction and operation of my device may obviously be resorted to all without departing from the spirit of my invention if within the liur its of the appended claims.-

il hat I therefore claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a labeling machine, a can feed conveyor, an intermittently operating driving,

mechanism therefor, and acap seating device past which the cans with their covers looselyplaced thereon-are adapted to be successively.

mechanism therefor, and a cap seating device past which the cans withtheir covers loosely placed thereon are adapted to be successively fed, said device opening and closing alternately with the intermittent operation of said conveyor.

In a labeling machine, a can feed conveyor, an intermittently operating driving mechanism therefor, and a cap seatingdevice past which the cans with their covers loosely placed thereon are adapted to be successively fed, said device operatively connected with said driving mechanism and acting alternately with the. intermittent operation ofsaid conveyor.

4-. In a labeling machine, a can feed conveyor, an intermittently operating driving mechanism therefor, and a cap seating de vice through which the cans with their covers loosely placed thereon are adapted to be successively fed, said device automati cally closed to firmly seat the cover on the can within said: device whenthe drive for the conveyor is discontinued,'and automatically opened to permit the capped can to pass out of the device and a succeeding can on the conveyor to enter within the device when thedrive for the conveyor is resumed.

5. In a labeling machine, a can feed conveyor, an intermittently operating driving mechanism therefor, and a cap seating device through which the cans with their covers loosely placed thereon are adapted to be successively fed, said device operatively connected with said driving mechanism and acting alternately with the intermittent operation of said conveyor whereby to close and automatically firmly'seat the cover on the can within the device when the drive for the conveyor is discontinued and to automatically open to permit the capped can to pass out of the device and a succeeding can on the conveyor to'enter within said device when the drive for the conveyor is resumed.

6. In a machine of, the class described, a capping device comprising opening and closing presser members, a can feed conveyor for conveying cans with their covers loosely placed thereon between said presser members, a reciprocating operating mechanism for the conveyor and the cap seater and alternately eifective on each at the end of each full reciprocation to advance the conveyor and open the presser members and to stop the conveyor and close the presser members whereby the cans are successively presented to the cap seater, the cap set and the capped can carried out upon each full alternate actuation of the can feed conveyor and cap seater by the operating mechanism.

7. In combination with a can feed conveyor, an intermittently operating driving mechanism therefor, a cap seater adjacent said conveyor and past which the cans with their caps loosely placed thereon are adapted to be successively fed by said conveyor, and

comprising a walled guideway and a pair of presser members, and means operating in timed relation to the conveyor driving mechanism for moving said presser members in one direction to cause them to press the cap on the can within said guideway while the drive for the conveyor is discontinued and for moving said members in the opposite direction when the. drive for the conveyor is resumed to permit the capped can to be fed from out of said guideway and a succeeding can on said conveyor to be fed into said press by the conveyor.

8. In combination with an intermittently operable can conveyor and its driving mechanism, a capping press adjacent said conveyor and past which the cans are adapted to be successively fed by said conveyor and comprising a presser member, and means operating in timed relation to the conveyor driving mechanism for moving said presser member in one direction to press the cap on the can within said press while the drive for the conveyor is discontinued and for moving sa1d presser member in the opposite direc- U011 when the drive for the conveyor is resnmed to permit the capped'can to be fed fromthe press and a succeeding can on said conveyor to be fed into said press by the conveyor. a 1

9. In combination with an intermittently operable can conveyor and its-driving mechanism, a capping press surmounting said conveyor and beneath which the cans-are adapted to be successively fed by said conveyor and comprising a presser member at either end of said press, and means operated from the conveyor driving mechanism" in timed relation thereto for automatically moving said presser members in one direction to press the cap on the can within said press while the drive for the conveyor is dis continued and for moving sald presser members inthe opposite direction when the drive for the conveyor is resumed to permit the capped can tobe fed from the press and a succeeding can on said conveyor to be into'said press by the conveyor.

10. In comb'nation with an'intermittently operable can conveyor and its drivingmechanism, a capping press surmounting said conveyor and beneath which the cans are adapted to be successively fed by said conveyor and comprising a pivoted presser member at either end of said press, and

means operated from the conveyor driving mechanism in timed relation thereto for swinging said presser members inwardly upon their pivots to press the cap upon the can within said press while the drive for the conveyor is discontinued and for moving said presser members outwardly upon their pivots when the drive for the conveyor is resumed to permit the capped can to be fed from the press and a succeeding can on said conveyor to be fed into said press by the 0on veyor.

11. In combination with an intemittently operable can conveyor and its driving mechanism, a capping press surmounting said conveyor and beneath which the cans are adapted to be successively fed by the conveyor and comprising a plurality of spaced vertically pivoted presser members, a crank to which said presser members are connect.

ed, a crank shaft operated from the conveyor driving mechanism in timed relation thereto for swinging said presser members inwardly upon their pivots to press the cap upon the can within the press while the drive for the conveyor is discontinued and for swinging said presser members outwardly upon their pivots when the drive for'the conveyor is resumed to permit the capped can to be fed from thepress and a succeeding can on said conveyor to be fed into said press by the conveyor.

12. In combination with an intermittently operable can conveyorand its driving mechanism, a cappingpress surmounting said conveyor and benaatli which the cans are adapted to be successively fed by said conveyor and comprising a walled guideway and: a presser member at either end of said guideway, a crank operatively connected with said presser members, a crank shaft operated in timed relation to the driving mechanism for the can conveyor, and operative connections between said crank shaft and said crank.

13. In combination with an intermittently operable can conveyor and its driving mech anism, a capping press surmounting said conveyor and beneath which the cans are adapted to be successively ted by said conveyor and comprising two pairs of vertically, pivoted presser fingers disposed on either side of said conveyor and at either end of said capping press, a crank centrally pivoted upon said capping press and operatively connected at its corners with said fingers whereby to,actuate said fingers upon rotation of said crank, a crank shaft oper-v ated in timed relation to the driving mechanism for the can conveyor, and operative connections between said crankshaft and said crank.

14:. In combination with an intermittently operable can conveyor and its driving mechanism, a capping press surmounting said conveyor and beneath. which the cans are adaptedio be intermittently fedby said-conveyor andcomprising a presser member disposed at each end of the capping press, and means operable for moving said presser member at one end of the capping press against the bottom of the can disposed in said press and the presser member at the opposite end of thecapping press against the can cap to thereby press said cap onto the can. 7

15. In combination with an intermittently operable can conveyor and its driving mechanism, a capping press mounted on said conveyor, andbeneath which the can'sare adapted to be intermittently fed by said conveyor and comprising two pairs of vertically pivoted presser finger-s disposed on each side of the can feed way and at each end of the capping press, and means operable in timed relation to the drive for the can conveyor for swinging all of said lingers inwardly upon their pivots to bring the finger pair at one end of the capping press against the bottom of the can disposed in said press and the linger pair at the opposite end of the capping, press against the can. cap to thereby press said cap onto the can.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

J AMESA. BUTLER.

Witnesses WV. S. CLEAVES,

Gno. B. RAWLINGS. I 

